Yep.
 

And then every one will whine that it's all over for no reason.

That is the funniest **** I've read on oso all year. :lolhit:

I have done a couple poker runs in my 10 years as a boat owner, both as a driver and a passenger. I really think it depends on the run. Smoke on the Water, the Chicago Poker Run, and Boyne Thunder are all out in Lake Michigan for the most part...plenty of room to run...and if a driver overextends his abilities, well, it can be catastrophic...but only for those who are assuming the risk of being INVOLVED with the run. That is one topic, and one which has been addressed in the Extreme Boats Mag forum a few years ago.

I think the bigger issue as far as potential to kill off Poker Runs is the issue of spectator boats. There have been MANY accidents in recent years where "we" have been killed...I worry about the one in the future when a family in a bowrider out watching the action is hit...you want to see a $hitstorm? 1000 Islands was one of the most frightening runs I've done...and we were only running 75-80. I could not believe the amount of spectator boats, and just how close they were to the course. Same thing with certain parts of Lake Cumberland. Most people don't realize just how fast FAST is...but its not their responsibility...its OURS.

Bingo!

I suspect that all of these points will soon be moot. You can argue this from each side as much as you want, but I'd be shocked if (just like "racing") all of our insurance policies don't have exclusion clauses that include "Poker Runs" and "Organized" events in the very near future.

My agent is a friend of the family and I have boated with him and his family in runabouts and Master Crafts since I was a small kid. He has never stepped foot in a boat capable of going over 55 MPH, but even he is beginning to ask me about poker runs. He is hearing this stuff discussed at national meetings and I'm his local source of info.

Not unlike others have stated so well here... my agent has recently said to me (paraphrased) " I'm not worried about your ability to drive your boat, I'm worried about the guy with enough money to buy a 150 MPH boat that doesn't have enough sense to find his way out of the rain."

Just like most things in life, it only takes a few to ruin things for everyone.

it is ironic here in ny u need a safe boater class for a jetski but anybody can go buy a 150mph boat and just go

When you can afford to buy a 150 MPH boat, you can afford a few politicians too.

lmao

This is exactly where I think we could be headed for. If poker runs are getting to fast then the bean counters will put a stop to it. But I dont see it being limited to Poker runs. I see limitations as to who they will insure being even more stringent than they are now. So, in other words I see go fast boats and esp cats getting even more expensive to insure and just less of us being eligable for and ins policy period.

I hate governmental regulations and laws which affect the way we live our lives. That said, in the case of "poker runs" and other non-race events, I believe that without some limits, there will be a disaster like the Ramstein air show suffered 10 years ago. Spectator boats lining the "course" with performance cats exceeding 150MPH is safe? No chance safety is of any concern.

The question isn't if the disaster will happen, it's when. There have already been poker run accidents (smoke on the water) which, when litigated, produced multimillion dollar awards. Imagine if there was a boat behind the cruiser, with a family on board. My Way was totally out of control, and would have obliterated anything in it's path. So yeah, in this case, to protect innocent people from testosterone laden wealthy guys, I would impose speed limits on poker runs.